Bout time Kennedy and Kerry did somthing useful...

[OntarioVanMan]

Lockerbie Convict Can Drop Appeal

By ALAN COWELL
Published: August 18, 2009

A Scottish court on Tuesday said it would allow the only person jailed for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing to abandon an appeal against his conviction, technically removing one of several obstacles to the man’s early return home to Libya.

But, with American opposition building to any early release of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, there was no clear indication whether the court’s decision would accelerate his release from Scotland’s Greenock prison, where he is serving a minimum 27-year term imposed in 2001. His lawyers maintain that he is close to death from terminal prostate cancer.

Lord Arthur Hamilton, Scotland’s most senior judge, said he and two other judges had agreed to a request made last week by Mr. Megrahi to withdrawal his appeal but said a separate appeal by the Scottish authorities remained to be heard.

On Monday, group of American senators wrote to the Scottish justice minister to insist that Mr. Megrahi serve out his full term, adding to American efforts to ensure that he is not freed early or transferred to Libyan custody.

The letter was written after the Scottish government said it would decide soon on whether to permit Mr. Megrahi, 57, a former Libyan intelligence agent, to return to Libya either on compassionate grounds because of his health or under a prisoner transfer agreement between Libya and Britain.

Despite protestations of innocence, he was convicted in 2001 of murder and other charges relating to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, in which 270 people — 189 of them Americans — died. The plane, a Boeing 747, exploded at 31,000 feet over the small town of Lockerbie in Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground.

His bid to leave prison has re-ignited a bitter and emotional debate, pitting the families of American victims who want him to serve out his full sentence against some British families who maintain Mr. Megrahi is innocent and should be set free.

Mr. Megrahi’s move to abandon his second appeal against conviction was apparently designed to help him qualify under the transfer deal, which may only be invoked in the absence of outstanding legal issues. Lawyers representing the families of the Lockerbie victims argue that other legal issues would still remain, since there is a separate appeal by the Scottish authorities maintaining that his sentence was too lenient.

In court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, Mr. Megrahi’s lawyer, Margaret Scott, said: “The court is aware of Mr. Megrahi’s medical condition in that he has progressive prostate cancer. This has now reached the terminal stage and my client’s condition has recently worsened very considerably.”

“Up-to-date medical reports from three eminent experts also concurred in the view that he has a very aggressive cancer, that his condition is grave and that the prognosis is extremely limited,” she said, according to Britain’s Press Association news agency.

“His absolute priority in the little time he has left is to spend it with his family in his homeland,” Ms. Scott said.

Mr. Megrahi lost an earlier appeal in 2002, but in 2007, a Scottish judicial review authorized him to file a second appeal.

In their letter, the seven American senators said they believed Mr. Megrahi should “remain in Scotland to complete his sentence in prison.”

The group, including Sen. John F. Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, said the international agreement that permitted Mr. Megrahi to be tried under Scottish law at a special court in the Netherlands provided for sentences to be served in full in Scotland.

“We believe strongly there should be ne deviation from this sentence,” the letter said. A copy of it was made available by a group representing the families of American victims of the bombing. “The bombing of Pan AM Flight 103 over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988, was an attack on America and a horrific act of international terrorism resulting in the deaths of 270 people, including 18 9 Americans,” the letter said. “Until the tragic events of September 11, 2001, no terrorist act had killed more American civilians.”

The letter followed public expressions of opposition to Mr. Megrahi’s release from the United States State Department, which has also insisted that he should serve his full term. It was addressed to Scotland’s Justice Secretary, Kenny Mackaskill, who has canceled other appointments to consider the case and will make a decision by the end of next week, according to news reports quoting an unidentified spokeswoman.

The Scottish government is to hold a scheduled cabinet meeting Tuesday but Scottish officials have declined to say whether ministers will discuss the Lockerbie affair.

The senators’ letter was also signed by senators Frank R. Lautenberg, Robert Menendez, Kristen Gillibrand, Charles E. Schumer and Patrick J. Leahy.

[Poorboy]

So What, Let His Sorry Butt Rot and Die in Prison! That's where he Belongs! And your Right, It's about time those two Worthless Idiots Did Something Right! Now the Question is What's it gonna Take for the Rest of them Yayhoos to Start doing something worthwhile?

[greg334]

They are doing this to look like they are doing something other than taking up space.

Maybe under Obama care, we would give teddy some pain pills and send him home.

[greg334]

Sounds like a plan, I bet you they would have a million people offering to drive them to the doctors office to get this done.

[layoutshooter]

Losing THIS Dingell will ONLY LEAD to the NEXT Dingell. SE Michigan is like a broken record.

[layoutshooter]

DingellBERRYS!!! It is reaching the point in our district that we are going to have a "Royal Family" and the title of "Congressman" will be passed on to the first born!! We are developing a rulling class. NOT GOOD!!

[layoutshooter]

Don't EVEN get me started on THAT bunch!! What a waste of air!!!

[greg334]

Getting to the point, Sorry Layout, you are already there.

While QEII celebrated her 50th year on the throne in 2003, Dingell celebrates his rise to the congresional throne in 2005 - making it 54 years of sitting in the same congressional seat. But if you add his father into the mix, he held the seat from 33 to 55, about 22 years, we have now 78 years of one family holding one single seat in congress - shame on you guys who vote for him, not even the kennedys have been able to accomplish that record.

AND just to add this, how can we trust levin, he was city council president under Young and helped ruin the city of detroit.

[layoutshooter]

That is CORRECT!! There IS no excuse for that. Is is NOT how it should be. Thanks to the UAW, USW, Teamsters and the rest of them we no longer have control over our representitives. On TOP of that I read where 98% of Dingells campain funds come from OUTSIDE of the State of Michigan, which would lead me to ask who does he REALLY represent, the people of his District or the "Puppet Master" that pays the bills?

[Poorboy]

there is no "so what" Its an article....*L* It just "Is"...

Ok OVM, I See What You Mean! Lol But I Still Say Let His Sorry Butt Sit Right where he is!

[muttly]

It's rediculous that this person was let out of jail.Victims' Families Decry Release of Lockerbie Bomber - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

[greg334]

It is a real shame that we have to put up with UK law but there is an agreement in place with the court in the Hague that specifically said he was to remain in jail for the rest of his life. Too bad we didn't pick him up and take him to Gitmo.

[muttly]

Yes agree. This person was let out of jail because of compassion due to the fact he is dying of prostrate cancer. I think it is taking compassion way to far.